The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer"s ability to carry out

The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer"s ability to carry out

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The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer"s ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises (大脑训练) involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss.
In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层). Brain scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you"ve ever dialed (拨电话) a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you called when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to another thought or task, and then took that “moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency (效率) declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time.
Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don" t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes.
We often don"t remember things as well when we"re trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people"s names—even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them.
1. Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?
A. To make them more productive.                
B. To reduce their stress and anxiety.
C. To develop their communication Skills.         
D. To help them perform daily tasks more easily.
2. According to Paragraph 2, why may a person suddenly forget who he has called?
A. He may have his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged.    
B. He is probably interrupted by another task.
C. He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called.    
D. He may need a rest between dialing and speaking.
3. People tend to make mistakes when       .
A. they perform several challenging tasks at a time 
B. new messages are processed one after another    
C. their relationships with others are affected       
D. the tasks require little thought
4. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Multitasking has become a way of life.
B. Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline.
C. Multitasking exercises need to be improved.
D. Multitasking enables people to remember things better.
答案

小题1:A
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:B
解析

举一反三

第二节完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a famous concert. After they were seated, the mother  36    a friend and walked over to greet her. Seizing the  37  to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy got up and explored his way 38   a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE(禁止进入)”. When the lights became less bright and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her  39    and discovered that the child was missing.
Suddenly, the curtains  40  and the lights focused on the stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard,   41  Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
At that moment, the great piano master, Paderewski,  42  on the stage, quickly went to the piano and  43  in the boy’s ear, “Don’t  44  . Keep playing.”
Then, leaning(倾斜) over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began  45  in a bass (低音的) part. Soon his right arm reached  46  to the other side of the child and he added a beautiful piece of music.  47  , the old master and the boy  48   a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative  49 
That’s the way it is in life.  50  we can complete on our own is  51  noteworthy(值得注目的). We try our best, but the 52  aren’t exactly graceful or flowing music.  53  when we put our trust in the hands of greater power, our life can be truly beautiful.
The next time you set  54  to create great performances, listen carefully. You can hear the  55  of the master whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”
36. A. made           B. saw               C. looked           D. called
37. A. chance     B. performance   C. piano       D. lesson
38. A. over            B. above        C. across       D. through
39. A. stage           B. seat              C. room       D. table
40. A. parted          B. drew        C. pulled      D. pushed
41. A. singing     B. knocking      C. playing      D. creating
42. A. stood           B. appeared     C. sat        D. fell
43. A. shouted     B. cried        C. whispered   D. looked
44. A. perform          B. stop             C. leave       D. run
45. A. filling          B. getting       C. breaking     D. taking
46. A. forwards      B. down       C. up          D. around
47. A. Separately  B. Together       C. Luckily     D. Hurriedly
48. A. made           B. became        C. changed           D. grew
49. A. experience  B. play          C. concert      D. film
50. A. What           B. That          C. Which      D. When
51. A. hard            B. hardly        C. always      D. usually
52. A. failures     B. successes     C. causes       D. results
53. A. So           B. And         C. But          D. Though
54. A. down           B. about       C. away        D. out
55. A. sound          B. noise        C. voice        D. song
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers (抢劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment (公寓房间), I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck (垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “ Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? the door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.
1. How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
A. Cold and sick           B. Fortunate and helpful
C. Satisfied and cheerful      D. Disappointed and helpless
2. From the first paragraph, we learn that the writer was busy ______.
A. solving her problem at the bank         B. taking part in various city activities
C. learning acting in a n evening school      D. preparing for the first night show
3. On her way home the writer _______.
A. lost her wallet unknowingly               B. was stopped by a garbage truck driver
C. was robbed of her wallet by an armed man   D. found some homeless people following her
4. In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
A. Someone offered to take her back home. B. A red-haired man came to see her.
C. She heard someone call her name D. Her wallet was found in a garbage truck.
5. From the text, we can infer that the writer _________.
A. would stop working at night       B. would stay on in San Francisco
C. would make friends with cleaners    D. would give up her job at the bank
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
"The Sun"s activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. 
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun"s atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. " A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million    kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Hold away, the lab"s director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we"ll be able to reduce the damage. What you don"t want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what"s caused the problem," he said.
1. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to      during the 2012 Olympics.
A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites
2. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?
A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.
B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.
C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.
D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.
3. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.
A. take images of the solar system         B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities            D. improve the communications on Earth
4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer
B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger
C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race
D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分满分40分)
US first lady Michelle Obama is among the world’s 100 most powerful women on a list topped by German premier Angela Merkel for four years in a row, according to a Forbes ranking released recently.
Michelle Obama debuted(初次露面)at No.40,coming in ahead of talk show host Oprah Winfrey at 41 and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth at 42.
Sheila Bair, chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, which insures bank deposits,remained NO.2 after debuting on the Forbes list last year. She has gained increased fame as the US recession(经济衰退) lasts.
The list is based on factors such as economic impact, media reach and career accomplishments. Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice fell off the list after leaving office in January. Rice’s successor (继任者),Hillary Clinton, came in at NO.36, dropping from No.28 last year when her presidential bid made her the woman with the highest public profile on the list.
“women im power are rising to leadership positions in business, government and philanthropy (慈善)by making daring and unconventional moves,”Forbes said.“Gone are the days of women feeling they must stick with one employer and patiently wait for promotions.”
“Highly ambitious women… are moving across companies and industries, making big leaps with each change, and repositioning themselves for opportunities that allow them to gain a breadth of experience,” the business magazine said.
Merkel,55, became the first female premier of Germany in 2005 and succeeded in retaining(保留) power in a federal election not long ago.
Michelle Obama,45,has won fans for her down-to-earth personality, her support of causes including healthy eating and the arts.
1.Condoleezza Rice is not included on the list probably because_______________ .
A. she exercises less influence
B. she keeps her new job a secret
C. she has become an ordinary woman
D. she is silent after leaving office
2.Hillary Clinton was ranked No.28 last year because_____________
A. she was the former first lady
B. she was running for president then
C. she frequently appeared in public
D. she got support from her husband
3. We learn from the passage that powerful women today_____________
A. change their jobs more frequently
B. are better political leaders than men
C. are not content with being housewives
D. have changed their traditional concept
4. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The most powerful women in the world
B. Women in power are rising to leadership postitions
C. Forbes: Germany’s Merkel again most powerful woman
D. Forbes: The rise and fall of the women in power
D. The latest source of biofuel
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

British potato farmers were taking to the streets to call for the expression "couch potato" to be taken away from the dictionary on the grounds that it harms the vegetable"s image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) to replace the expression with the term "couch slouch", with protests planned outside parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press. Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 growers and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
"We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad to you," she said Monday.
"The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary"s fault but we want to use another term than couch potato because potatoes are naturally healthy."
The OED says "couch potato" originated as American slang, meaning "a person who spends leisure time passively or idly sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes."
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term “couch potato” in 1993 and said "dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses."
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words contained in 20 volumes. But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
“If society stops using words, then they are taken out of the smaller dictionaries”, he added. “The first known recorded use of the expression ‘couch potato’ was in a 1979 Log Angeles Times article,” Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato.
1.British potato farmers were taking to the streets _____.
A.to advertise their production
B.to call for a higher price for t heir potatoes
C.to remove the expression “couch potato” from the dictionary
D.to let people know how important the potato is in people’s lives
2.The farmers think that_________.
A.potatoes have had a bad imagine       
B.potatoes are good for people by nature
C.potatoes sometimes do harm to people
D.it"s the dictionary"s fault to use the expression "couch potato"
3.John Simpson thinks that _________.
A.the expression can be taken out of every kind of dictionary
B.dictionaries do not necessarily reflect the words the society uses
C.little used words can remain in the smaller dictionaries
D.it is impossible to take the word out of the dictionary
4.What is wrong with the expression "couch potato"?
A.It is connected with unfavorable meaning.
B.Potato should be used in the expression. 
C.It is borrowed from American English.
D.It refers to a kind of person.
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
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